Who knew that Slash was so good at anything other than knocking out great, classic licks for almost thirty years? Some fans might have, but Made In Stoke shows makes the point unavoidable; these are great, classic songs all around.

Even if you already own one or two of the DVD’s in the set, this is a worthwhile trade up. If you’ve fallen behind this year and haven’t picked up any of the DVD’s then get out and grab this set! (And, of course, ‘tis the season so it makes a swell gift idea too!)

Eyehategod Live is ugly, abrasive, and a bit of a mess, but fans of the band wouldn’t have it any other way. And seeing how Eyehategod will likely never play a show north of the border, this is a live set for Canadian fans to savour, not to mention seethe with envy of their neighbours to the South.

Now after watching this thing twice I’ll bet anyone who would argue that Matt Barlow is not the one and only true vocalist for this band. His performance on the Metal Camp festival show is flawless. Such emotion and passion in his delivery, it will have you punching your fist in the air. Highlights are “Declaration Day” and “Dracula”. He hits the highs effortlessly and really knows how to command the stage. The band sounds as tight as hell and really proves that they are the premier power metal band in North America bar none.

if there is one criticism that I could lay on Radio City Music Hall it is that it was filmed far too early on after their reformation. The difference between this band’s performance here and the way they were playing that October when they did a second North American tour was like night and day. They went from being a great band to an outstanding live act.

If rock and roll debauchery is something you are into, definitely pick this up but if you are a fan of the classic In Rock / Machine Head era of Deep Purple then you are better off spending your money elsewhere.

My complaints about this disc are few (I would REALLY like a straight through version of the show) but my praise is high. This is a great watch for fans new and old and the accompanying live CD has some great rare live 80’s tracks as well.